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[monks data]
Nice
Ligue 1 | Gameweek 20
Jan 17, 2021 at 2pm UK
Stade Municipal du Ray
Bordeaux

Nice
0 - 3
Bordeaux

FT(HT: 0-0)
Ui-jo (50'), Baysse (75'), Basic (87')
Basic (33')

Preview: Nice vs. Bordeaux - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Ligue 1 clash between Nice and Bordeaux, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Two mid-table teams desperate to improve their domestic fortunes in 2021 will do battle at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday afternoon as Nice play host to Bordeaux in Ligue 1.

Adrian Ursea's men played out a 1-1 draw with Metz in their most recent outing, whereas Bordeaux returned to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Lorient.


Match preview

Nice's Pierre Lees-Melou celebrates with teammates after scoring against AS Monaco on November 8, 2020© Reuters

Ursea is yet to work his magic at Nice, whose chances of a second successive campaign in Europe are diminishing by the week amid their winless run.

Les Aiglons faced off against Metz in a mid-table battle last Saturday, and the game certainly had a mid-table feel about it as the two teams cancelled each other out at the Stade Saint-Symphorien, with Amine Gouiri striking from 12 yards before Metz captain John Boye equalised.

That stalemate stretched Nice's winless streak in the top flight to four matches and they can only boast one win from their last 13 across all competitions, so it will not be long before the 13th-placed Aiglons start to look over their shoulder if results do not improve.

Nice's solitary win in that run came at Nimes last month, with Ursea yet to lead his team to victory at the Allianz Riviera, where they have suffered defeat in four of their last five Ligue 1 matches since beating Nantes 2-1 on October 3.

Jean-Louis Gasset as Saint-Etienne manager in January 2019.© Reuters

As is the case with Nice, Bordeaux would have aspired to challenge for the European places before a ball was kicked this season, but inconsistency has been their downfall in the first half of the campaign.

Jean-Louis Gasset's men kicked off their 2021 with a goalless stalemate at Metz but managed to return to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over struggling Lorient last weekend, with Remi Oudin netting either side of a Terem Moffi header.

A Europa League berth is certainly not out of the question for Les Girondins, but unless the visitors can start accumulating points on a consistent basis, mid-table mediocrity would appear to be the most likely outcome for the second half of the campaign.

Gasset's men became renowned for their defensive solidity in the early stages of the campaign, and while that resilience has wavered in recent weeks, the 10 clean sheets that Benoit Costil has already kept can only be bettered by Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak (11) in Europe's top five leagues.

However, Bordeaux are currently enduring a run of 12 league games without a win against Nice, and a goalless stalemate in September's reverse fixture represented the third successive draw between the two sides.

Nice Ligue 1 form: LWLDLD

Bordeaux Ligue 1 form: LLWLDW


Team News

Nice teammates Walter Benitez and Kasper Dolberg pictured in February 2020© Reuters

Experienced midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin remains out for Nice with a calf problem, joining Danilo Barbosa, Dante and Pierre Lees-Melou in the infirmary.

However, Robson Bambu is back from suspension and should return to the defence alongside William Saliba, who has quickly become one of the first names on the teamsheet since his loan move from Arsenal.

Star striker Kasper Dolberg has had a torrid time with injuries and coronavirus as of late, but the 23-year-old came off the bench in the draw with Metz and could return to the first XI here.

Bordeaux are expected to be without inspirational playmaker Hatem Ben Arfa once again due to a thigh problem, and he joins Mehdi Zerkane in the treatment room.

Centre-back Pablo is reportedly closing in on a move to Lokomotiv Moscow, so Mexer should be welcomed back to the squad for the trip to Nice.

Gasset could opt to make a solitary change from their win over Lorient, with Josh Maja hopeful of displacing Hwang Ui-jo up top.

Nice possible starting lineup:
Benitez; Bamba, Saliba, Nsoki; Thuram; Atal, Boudaoui, Reine-Adelaide, Kamara; Gouiri, Dolberg

Bordeaux possible starting lineup:
Costil; Sabaly, Baysse, Koscielny, Benito; Otavio, Basic; Oudin, De Preville, Kalu; Maja


SM words green background

We say: Nice 1-1 Bordeaux

Nice will be buoyed by their recent record against Bordeaux, and the loss of Hatem Ben Arfa is sure to affect the visitors' attacking prowess. However, the hosts have been nothing short of abysmal on their own turf and could struggle to break down a dogged Bordeaux defence, but with the prospect of Dolberg and Gouiri both starting up top, Ursea's men should do enough to nick a point.


Top betting tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting a double chance bet on a home win or an away win in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Home/Away:data



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Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Bordeaux win with a probability of 37.43%. A win for Nice had a probability of 35.36% and a draw had a probability of 27.2%.

The most likely scoreline for a Bordeaux win was 0-1 with a probability of 10.64%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-2 (8.1%) and 0-2 (6.68%). The likeliest Nice win was 1-0 (10.27%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.9%). The actual scoreline of 0-3 was predicted with a 2.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Bordeaux would win this match.


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Game History

How you voted: Nice vs Bordeaux

Nice
38.6%
Draw
40.9%
Bordeaux
20.5%
44
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Saint-Etienne defender William Saliba, on loan from Arsenal, pictured in February 2020
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1Paris Saint-GermainPSG12102036102632
2MonacoMonaco1282221101126
3Marseille116232415920
4Lille115421811719
5Lyon115331815318
6Nice1145221111017
7Reims115241915417
8Lens11452129317
9Auxerre115152019116
10Toulouse124351314-115
11StrasbourgStrasbourg113442022-213
12Brest124171622-613
13Rennes113261318-511
14NantesNantes112451417-310
15Angers112451320-710
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne113171025-1510
17Le HavreLe Havre11308823-159
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier112181131-207


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